Advance PT July 2017

“The past 17 years have been the most fulfilling of my life, and I hope that we can continue to give a little back to the community that has given us so much.”

After learning the details of Scotty’s condition, we focused our attention on giving him the best life possible. When middle school rolled around, we decided that the big city atmosphere of San Diego would be rough for him. Having honeymooned in Sun Valley, Michelle immediately thought of Idaho. We visited Boise and made the move not long after. Since we arrived in 1999, there’s been no looking back. The incredible teachers and staff of the Boise School District made Scotty feel welcome from day one. Michelle and I knew right away that we’d made the best decision for our family. I opened Advance Physical Therapy, Michelle began working for the Boise VA hospital, and Scotty has grown to love the city. He’s thriving now, with a daytime job and as independent a life as we could’ve ever hoped for him. I still worry about him — I guess that’s just the nature of being a parent — but I’m so proud of everything he’s achieved. We are so grateful for the life Boise has provided us, and we’re blessed to be able to call this great city home. The past 17 years have been the most fulfilling of my life, and I hope that we can continue to give a little back to the community that has given us so much.

A CITY TO THRIVE IN My Family’s Journey to Boise

Though I was born here in Idaho, I lived most of my adult life in Southern California. I had a thriving orthopedic and sports physical therapy practice. I never thought that I would purposely leave behind the sunshine, the lifestyle, and the friends that my wife and I enjoyed while living in San Diego for 18 years. No, Boise, Idaho, was never on the radar for us. Moving to Boise, though, ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I owe making that decision to my brilliant and beautiful wife, Michelle, and our adopted son, Scott. Michelle and I adopted Scotty in 1986, when he was 1. From the moment he came into our lives, he brought us so much joy. This joy, though, wasn’t without some challenges. Even as a toddler, it was clear that Scotty had some developmental issues. We couldn’t get him the services he needed without first pinpointing a diagnosis. Try

as we might, nobody could figure out exactly what was ailing Scotty. Nobody, that is, until we met Dr. David Cummings of the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California. Michelle took 3-year-old Scotty to see Dr. Cummings one day. Scotty was all over the place, and Michelle was emotional. When Dr. Cummings walked into the office, he was utterly calm. He sat at his desk, observed Scotty, and immediately made a diagnosis. “Mrs. Jones,” he said “I normally wouldn’t diagnose a boy this young, but I can say for certain that Scotty suffers from Tourette’s syndrome.” It was the earliest that Dr. Cummings, an expert in Tourette’s, had ever made a diagnosis. He suggested that medication was a normal treatment method. Michelle, with her trademark sense of humor, responded, “Well, somebody is leaving here with medication!”